Global Locations: Australia

American Film Market 2010

Australia is in the midst of a federal government review of subsidies that the industry hopes will result in more attractive coin by year’s end, but for now the main incentives remain the 15% location offset for pix with a qualifying expenditure of A$15 million ($14.6 million) and the post, digital and visual effects production (PDV) offset, also set at 15%. The PDV is currently available for all productions spending $4.9 million or more Down Under, regardless of whether the production is shot in Oz. The PDV offset minimum spend was lowered to $490,000 earlier in the year but it still awaiting the government rubber stamp.

Oz also offers the generous 40% producer offset for local productions that pass a significant Australian content (SAC) test or are official co-prods.

A recent overhaul of co-prod guidelines, announced at Mipcom, is aimed at easing access to the producer offset. The changes include recognizing previously ignored roles for inclusion in the “points test” that counts towards the content test, such as VFX supervisor, costume and sound designer, and lead roles in animation pics.